Bail-attachment ear for metallic containers



Vmr. 4, 1969 T, A, MccoY 3,476,289

BAIL-ATTACHMENT EAR FOR METALLIC cox'mnlmns Filed June 28, 1968 Fig. J

INVENTOR Thomas AMCCoy' BY wm @faam ATTORNEYS United States PatentOffice 3,476,289 BAIL-ATTACHMENT EAR FOR METALLIC CONTAINERS Thomas A.McCoy, Stockton, Calif., assignor to Carando Machine Works, Stockton,Calif., a partnership Filed .lune 28, 1968, Ser. No. 740,890 Int. Cl.B65d 25/32 U.S. Cl. 220-91 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ametallic, bail-attachment ear adapted to be electrowelded to t-he sideof a metallic container-suchas a pail-having an external coating ofrelatively dielectric material such as Ipaint or plastic; the ear beingpreformed with projections arranged to penetrate such coating andestablish electrical contact, for such welding, with the metal of the`container upon the ear being forcefully pressed against the sidethereof.

Background of the invention The use of projections, on a bail-attachmentear, to penetrate arelatively dielectric coating on a metallic containerwhen the ea-r is forcefully pressed against the side thereof, and forthe purpose of providing electrical contact with the metal of suchcontainer, is a known expedient as evidenced-for example-by UnitedStates Patent No. 2,845,522, issued July 29, 1958, to P. M. Hall.Previously, however, the projections on the bailattachment ear werepreformed by a pointed circular punch driven through the ear and whichformed a round hole surrounded by projections comprised of amultiplicity of jagged points of varying height, no `one of which wassupported from the ear in a predictable manner. With the projectionsthus formed, wholly effective penetration of the dielectric coating onthe container, and electrical contact with the metal thereof forwelding, was not always accomplished. The present invention wasconceived in the course of endeavors seeking a solution to such problem.

Summary of the invention The present invention provides, as a majorobject, a bail-attachment ear for a metallic container-such as apail-which includes preformed, inwardly extending projections, of novelconfiguration, for attainment in a most ecective manner of the requisitepenetration of the dielectric coating on the container and the making ofpositive electrical contact with the metal thereoffor welding-upon theear being forcefully pressed against the side of such container.

The present invention provides, as an additional object, albail-attachment ear, as in the preceding paragraph, wherein theprojections (which are formed on opposed flanges of the ear) are eachlip-like with a substantially straight, continuous, sharp or chisel-likeouter edge; there being, on each flange, a pair of such projectionsdisposed in spaced parallel relation, with an opening therebetween. Suchprojections are formed by a punch of special shape.

The present invention provides, as another object, a bail-attachmentear, as above, wherein the projections assure of better electricalconductivity between the ear and the container and, consequently,improved electro-welding of the ear on said container.

The present invention provides, as a further object, a bail-attachmetear which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, and readyelectro-welding to a metallic container.

The present invention provides, as a still further ob- 3,476,289Patented Nov. 4, 1969 ject, a practical and reliable bail-attachmentear, and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which itis designed.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. l is an elevation-from theoutsideof the improved 'bail-attachment ear.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal plan of the ear; the view, taken 4substantiallyon line 2 2 of FIG. l, being partly broken away and partly in section.

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken substantially on line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the method of forming the projections on theear.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal plan similar to FIG. 2, but shows the ear ininitial engagement with the side of a container.

FIG. 6 is also a similar view, but shows the ear as deformed by pressureso as to closely engage and follow the contour of the container, andwith the projectionsas penetrated through the dielectric coatingweldedto said container.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now more particularlyto the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, thebailattachment ear is stamped out Vof sheet metal and cornprises a bodyindicated generally at f1; such body including a circular, outwardlyprojecting cup 2 provided with a central opening 3 in its outer face,and through which opening a bail end (not shown) is adapted to beprojected in coupling engagement.

The body 1, on opposite sides of the cup 2, also includes generally fiatlaterally projecting flanges 4, each of like configuration. The body 1,as a whole, has an initial longitudinal curvature, the radius of whichis somewhat less than that of the side of the container 5 to which thebail-attachment ear is to be welded.

Centrally thereof, each flange 4 is formed with a relatively smallrectangular opening 6 which is somewhat elongated lengthwise of the ear;i.e. in a plane peripherally -of the container. Along the side oropposed longitudinal edges of the opening 66, each flange 4 is providedwith outwardly and equally rearwardly extending, lip-like projections 7;each such projection having a straight, continuous, sharp or chisel-likeouter edge as shown. While the projections 7 of each pair thereof aredisposed in adjacent but spaced parallel relation, they are also angledin inwardly converging relation. See FIG. 3.

Each opening 6 and the related pair of projections 7 are simultaneouslyformed, during the manufacture of the ear, by means of a sharp-edgedchisel-like punch 8 mounted to work into an opening in a backing die 9on which one of the fianges -4 rests. Upon the punch 8 being forcefullypower advanced toward the backing die 9, such punch penetrates thedie-supported flange 4, and thus forms the projections 7 in the shapepreviously described.

Each ear is attached to the side of the container in the followingmanner:

The ear is first brought into engagement with the' side of the containerat the point where such ear is to be welded thereto (see FIG. 5); thestraight, continuous, and sharp outer edges of the projections 7 on eachflange 4 then being in engagement with the dielectric coating 10 on thecontainer, and which coating may be paint, plastic, or the like.

As thus initially engaged with the side of the container, the body 1 ofthe ear is not then concentric thereto; this because of the differencein their radial size, as previously described.

Nextly, with a rigid backing member 11 in the container in engagementtherewith directly inwardly of the ear, an opposed outside pressuremember 12 is brought into engagement with the flanges 4 from theoutside. Forceful pressure is then exerted against the member 12, andhence against the flanges 4. Upon such forceful pressure being appliedagainst the flanges 4, the longitudinal curvature of the body 1 becomesthat of the side of the container, and the anges 4 spread apart somewhatand lie flush against said side. When this occurs, the straight,continuous, sharp outer edges of the projections 7 cut through orpenetrate the dielectric coating 10, and thence engage and scrape alongthe metal of the container as said projections collapse. This assures ofa positive metal-to metal electrical contact between the flanges 4 andthe metallic container 5.

The members 11 and 12 are the actual welding electrodes, and theassembly of which is energized in predetermined timed relation topenetration of the projections 7 through the dielectric coating 10 andthe making of the electrical contact by said projections with the metalof the container. Thus, the electrode members 11 and 12 act to cause anelectro-welding, as at 13, of each flange 4 to the container in theimmediate zone of the' collapsed projections 7.

The effectiveness of the ultimate weld is assured by reason of theparticular form of the projections 7, including the straight,continuous, sharp outer edges thereof, whereby the dielectric coating onthe container is not only cleanly penetrated but also a positiveelectrical conta-ct is made with the metal of the container upon the earbeing disposed in position and then forcefully clamped between theelectrode members 11 and 12.

By virtue of the fact that the projections 7 are lip-like withfull-length backing by the related flange, they are stronger and morepressure' can be applied to them to cut through or penetrate the coatingon the container, than heretofore.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a bail-attachment ear for metallic conta-iners assubstantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forthherein.

While this specifi-cation sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the bail-attachment ear for metallic containers, stillin practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as donot form a departure from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A metallic, bail-attachment ear, for electro-welding to a metalliccontainer having a relatively dielectric coating thereon, which includesa central member for reception ofvone end of a bail, substantially flatflanges projecting in opposition from the central member, and inwardprojections formed integrally on the flanges and adapted to penetratethe coating and establish electrical contact with the metal of thecontainer upon the flanges being forcefully pressed thereagainst;characterized by the projections each having a substantially straight,continuous, sharp outer edge, there being a pair of said inwardprojections on e'ach ange, the projections of each pair being disposedin adjacent but spaced parallel relation, each flange including asubstantially rectangular opening in a direction lengthwise of the ear,and the project-ions of each pair extending inwardly from thecorresponding flange at the related longitudinal edges of the opening.

2. A bail-attachment ear, as in claim 1, in which the projections ofeach pair thereof are disposed in inwardly converging relation from saidlongitudinal edges of the opening.

3. A bail-attachment ear, as in claim 1, in which the projections ofeach pair extend inwardly an equal distance.

4. A metallic, bail-attachment ear, for electrowelding to a metalliccontainer having a relatively dielectric coating thereon, which includesa central member for reception of one end of a bail, substantially flatflanges projecting in opposition from the central member, and inwardprojections formed integrally on the flanges and adapted to penetratethe coating and establish electrical Contact `with the metal of thecontainer upon the flanges being forcefully pressed thereagainst;characterized by the projections each having a substantially straight,continuous, sharp outer edge, there being a pair of said inwardprojections on each flange, and the projections of each pair beingdisposed `in adjacent but spaced parallel relation, extending inwardlyfrom the corresponding flange an equal distance, and being disposed ininwardly converging relation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,131 5/1928 Allerton 220-912,450,655 10/ 1948 Goldsworthy 219-93 2,845,522 7/1958 Hall 219-93JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner JAMES R. GARRETT, Assistant ExaminerU.S. Cl. X.R. 219-93

